Electronic systems, such as communication systems, computing systems, and gaming systems, are often redesigned to operate at higher frequencies. Many problems arise during the process of redesigning electronic systems to operate at higher frequencies. Until recently, some of these problems were overcome by improving the performance of the most elementary electronic component in the system. For example, the bandwidth of many systems that used bipolar junction transistors as a basic building block was increased by increasing the operating power level in the systems. A higher power level translated to a high switching speed for the individual transistors and a higher operating frequency for the system. Even though this strategy is still used today, at high frequencies, electrical system effects, such as parasitic capacitances, can negate performance improvements in the elementary electronic components.
In the field of high speed digital signaling, existing system constraints cannot be ignored by the designers who are assigned the task of redesigning a system to operate at a higher frequency. For example, to improve the performance of a logic system designed with electronics that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge, the speed of the system must be increased without removing the circuits that protect the system from destruction through electrostatic discharge. Often these protective circuits introduce electrical system effects that limit the high frequency performance of a system. The traditional approach of improving the speed of the transmitting and receiving transistors does not help increase the operating frequency of these systems. Therefore, new systems and methods are required to increase the operating frequency of electronic systems.